Age of Rebirth

"Huh?" Le Yiqin, who was gearing up and excited, was taken aback for a moment, looked at He Zhijun and asked, "The information is accurate? Where did the remaining little devil's warship go?"

Le Yiqin's idea was to take advantage of the opportunity of the combined fleet of the Japanese Navy to enter the inland waters of Banda Sea. Once again, the land-based fleet of the Southern Aviation Group was the main force to attack with all his strength. He made up his mind to take Banda Treating the sea as a huge iron pot, the combined fleet of the Japanese Navy as dumplings, and countless heavy aerial bombs as firewood, they must be cooked.

Hearing what He Zhijun said, he couldn't help muttering, if the remaining one-third of the little devil warships came out of nowhere when he commanded the fleet to hit the most critical moment, something bad would happen!

As the chief of staff of the Southern Flying Group, He Zhijun must of course grasp the full situation. What he said just now was to remind the commander that what the Southern Flying Group had to face was the main force of the Japanese Navy's fleet. But seeing the commander's question, he replied: "The information is accurate. The reconnaissance plane unit has been reconnaissance and verified many times. It is indeed the main force of two-thirds of the Japanese Navy's combined fleet and has entered the Banda Sea!"

"As for the other one-third of the Japanese warships, according to the information provided by the intelligence department, they headed towards the waters of the Solomon Islands. After that, there was no follow-up information. You also know that the detection radius of our reconnaissance aircraft cannot reach Solomon Islands." Archipelago waters, so the current situation is unknown!"

"A few days ago, didn't the fleet kill the little devil's fourth fleet and the little devil infantry of the two divisions in the waters of the Solomon Islands? Those little devil warships must be heading towards our fleet!" Le Yiqin asked again.

"It should be!" He Zhijun agreed with the commander's judgment.

"Okay! Our family can't eat this big piece of fat! Don't hold on!" Le Yiqin thought about it and said, "Contact Fleet Commander Tang immediately. Let us know our intentions and the whereabouts of the main force of the little devil's fleet! At the same time, report our preliminary Banda Sea combat plan to the division commander!"

After the independent division fleet sailed northward from the waters of the Solomon Islands, it has been sailing unhurriedly.The Lu-class submarine, the only surviving Japanese Fourth Fleet, believed that it had not exposed its target, so it followed it to the waters near Banaba Island. Naturally, information about the whereabouts of the Independent Division Fleet also flowed to the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet Headquarters, that's why General Nagumo Tadashi has the confidence to intercept and kill midway!

Because of the waters off the Solomon Islands.Part of the Japanese Navy's combined fleet that was chasing the fleet is still far away from the fleet. The fleet's reconnaissance planes are frequently dispatched, and no trace of the Japanese fleet has been found. It seems that the huge Japanese Navy's combined fleet has disappeared.

Tang Qiuquan, Vice Admiral Amosiyev, the deputy commander of the fleet, and others were also puzzled by this abnormal situation.Guessing endlessly, what they are most worried about is that they will not be able to attract all the combined Japanese navy fleet.In other words, the task assigned by the teacher was not completed.

Just then, a telegram from Le Yiqin arrived.At this point, Tang Qiuquan and other talents suddenly realized.Immediately understood Nagumo Chuichi's attempt.

"It seems that Nagumo Zhongichi has a lot of appetite!" Tang Qiuquan said to the generals: "Use part of his fleet to follow up. Use his main fleet to go to the Banda Sea, go out to the Maluku Strait, and intercept us in the Caroline Islands. This is Nagumo Chuichi's campaign attempt, everyone, what do you think about this?"

Amosiyev spoke first, "Commander, Commander Le's intention is to launch a large-scale attack on the main force of the Japanese Navy's joint fleet in the Banda Sea. In this regard, the land-based fleet of the Southern Air Group has experience. Also doable."

"And the fleet has to choose one of the directions, whether to join forces with the Southern Flying Group to attack the main force of the Japanese Navy's combined fleet in the Banda Sea, or to undertake operations alone against the fifth and sixth fleets of the combined fleet that are chasing us. ?”

Fleet Chief of Staff Ge Zhenzhuang took over the topic and said: "In terms of strength comparison, there is still some gap between the fleet's carrier-based aircraft plus the land-based mixed combat brigade fleet, and the strength of the Japanese Fifth Fleet and Sixth Fleet, but the gap is not large. big!"

The situation on the battlefield and the comparison of the strength of the enemy and ourselves are very clear, and the rest is the question of how to choose. Everyone's eyes are on Tang Qiuquan.

Tang Qiuquan seriously thought about the speeches of Amosiyev and Ge Zhenzhuang, and after a while, he said: "I decided to join hands with the Southern Flying Group to severely damage the main force of the Japanese Navy's combined fleet in the Banda Sea, and then turn around. , Deal with the Japanese Fifth Fleet and Sixth Fleet that are chasing us!"

Tang Qiuquan's consideration was very cautious. With the current strength of the fleet and the fleet of land-based mixed combat brigades, the probability of winning against the Japanese Fifth Fleet and Sixth Fleet was very high, but the loss of the fleet would not be small. He couldn't bear it. Take all your family resources and come to fight recklessly with the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet.

The fleet will join forces with Le Yiqin's Southern Flying Group, the fleet's losses will be minimized, and the impact on the Japanese Navy's combined fleet will be greater. There is another factor that prompted Tang Qiuquan to make such a decision.

The Fifth Fleet and Sixth Fleet of the Japanese Army are still far away from the current position of the fleet, and they are not within the detection range of the fleet's reconnaissance planes. In terms of time, it is also allowed to attack the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet before turning around and facing the Japanese army that is chasing after them. The Fifth Fleet and the Sixth Fleet, at that time, the land-based fleet of the Southern Flying Group could assist the fleet in operations.

Now that the commander has made the final decision, none of the commanders present has any objection. Tang Qiuquan said to Ge Zhenzhuang: "Immediately send a telegram to Le Yiqin to inform him of our opinion, and explain that this time In the Battle of Banda Sea, the Southern Flying Group is the main force, the fleet is coordinated, and Le Yiqin is the commander of the entire battle!"

Seeing Tang Qiuquan's call back, Le Yiqin grinned happily, and told Chief of Staff He Zhijun: "Call back to the Fleet Command, and immediately change the course, pass through the northwest of Irian Island, enter the Hamahera Sea, The waters near the Jaampat Islands are on standby, and immediately report the plan of the Banda Sea campaign to the teacher!"

In Western Australia, after Tang Qiuli received Le Yiqin's telegram, he carefully read it several times and was shocked by Le Yiqin's appetite. The devastating blow is definitely very good news for the troops on the Australian battlefield, and its significance is self-evident!

Not only did the combined fleet of the Japanese Navy relieve the constant threat to the maritime logistics supply line in the East Indian Ocean, but also the Jiang Yanming Corps on Java Island and the Yuan Jinghao Corps on Irian Island could go south at any time to join the Australian battlefield. In this way, the independent division The overall strength of the army will be more than double that of the Japanese army on the Australian battlefield, and there will be no suspense about the final outcome of the Australian battle!

At first, Tang Qiuli was worried that it would be difficult for the Southern Flying Group alone to fight against the main force of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet. However, after seeing the content of joining hands with the fleet to fight the battle in Banda Sea, he was completely relieved. Maybe, happy Yiqin, a militant, is eager to fight, but with Brother Qiuquan around, such worries are unnecessary.

Tang Qiuli's call back to Le Yiqin was very simple, "I have received all the information about the call, and the teacher approved the joint combat plan of the Southern Flying Group and the Fleet. Le Yiqin, you can do whatever you want. The teacher will not interfere with Banda. Any specific command of the sea battle, I only want the result!"

After the Banda Sea campaign plan was approved by the division commander, all the combat troops of the Southern Aviation Group began to operate at high speed. Batches of combat aircraft fought from Luzon, Mindanao, Sumatra, Kalimantan and other places. Airports, from Singapore, Phnom Penh and Yangon Navy and Air Force bases, have gathered at field airports around Sulawesi and Irian Island. For a time, in the sky of the Southwest Pacific Ocean, the large fleet of the Air Force of the Independent Division can be seen at any time, rumbling skimming.

Colonel He Zhijun, the chief of staff of the Southern Aviation Group, counted the number of combat aircraft assembled. This is all the wealth. The number of combat aircraft that can be assembled in the theater has reached more than [-] fighters, and bombers have reached more than [-]. Others There are more than one hundred combat aircraft of various types, and the Southern Aviation Group has a total of more than [-] combat aircraft, participating in this attack on the main force of the Japanese Navy's combined fleet.

This is all the troops that Le Yiqin can muster for the war. In the words of Chief of Staff He Zhijun, "Empty the entire family property of the Southern Flying Group!"

Thanks to Le Yiqin's advanced strategic vision, after the ground forces of the Independent Division occupied the islands in the Southwest Pacific, he desperately urged the logistics department of the Southern Aviation Group to build and expand field airports on various islands.

What he wants to do is to be able to assemble and accommodate more than 90.00% of the combat aircraft of the Southern Aviation Group on one or two of the islands. Le Yiqin's efforts have been rewarded, and now he can finally use it Already, more than [-] combat aircraft are concentrated on Sulawesi and Irian Islands, without any congestion.

Le Yiqin mobilized his troops and mobilized almost all the combat aircraft under his command to assemble at designated locations, preparing to fight the main force of the Japanese Navy's combined fleet in the Banda Sea. The specific situation of the troops was notified to the Fleet Command.

After receiving the telegram from Le Yiqin, both Tang Qiuquan and Amosiyev couldn't help but click their tongues and said, "Great!"

The fleet began to change its course, and according to Le Yiqin's request, it sailed to the waters of Raja Ampat Islands to stand by. However, the fleet did not go to the bases in Luzon Island and Mindanao Island, but changed its course. Naturally, the information will not be leaked out. Time to get rid of the tail.

"Order the submarine hunting detachment, kill the tail!" Tang Qiuquan gave the order coldly.

(to be continued) (to be continued...)